A FAN of Bridgwater & Albion Rugby Club is travelling down to the clubhouse from Birmingham – the catch is, he’s going by foot.

Matthew Eggar, 34, is walking the 126 miles from Birmingham to Bridgwater with his friend Pete Harvey over the course of six days to raise money for nine different charities.

Matthew, who lives in Birmingham, said: “I want to do something big before I’m too old. This is my first time doing a full walk like this.

“I have been going to the gym to get used to the pace and the gradients on the road.

“We have got all the routes planned out on a day-to-day basis. We are staying in a B&B one night but I’m staying at camping sites every other night.”

Each charity Matthew is raising money for has some sort of personal connection to him.

His grandmother died of leukaemia in 1995 so he’s raising money for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research; his dad suffered a heart attack four years ago and just survived it so Matthew is raising money for the British Heart Foundation; Matthew lost his other grandmother to bowel cancer and he decided to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care as it was Marie Curie nurses that took care of her.

The other charities Matthew is raising funds for are Bliss Premature Babies, Edwards Trust, John Taylor Hospice, MacMillan Cancer Support, Stroke Association and Somerset Rural Youth Project.

Matthew said: “It’s not only to remember the sad things that happened but to help all the charities and the rugby club.”

The marathon trek begins on May 25 from Birmingham and a crowd is prepared to gather at Bridgwater & Albion Rugby Club on May 31 at 10.30am to greet the pair when they arrive.

A fun day will begin once Matthew and Pete arrive, including under-15s and under-7s rugby tournaments, a car boot, bouncy castle, face painting, tug of war and much more.

Any local businesses or craftspeople who would like to hold a stall to sell their products can do so at £10 per stall.

If you would like a book a place at the car boot or have a stall, or would like to donate to Matthew’s cause, contact Matthew at matt2280@hot mail.co.uk or contact Bridgwater and Albion on info@barfc.co.uk or 01278-423900.